


Paint is only spread because of the Burashimēkā

by CheetahLeopard2



Series: Paint's the thing [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gift, IT TAKES LIKE 2k FOR LEV TO EVEN SHOW UP, Lev is a tol stringbean and we love him, Libero Relay trade, M/M, Morisuke just wants rest but can't until he mentors the tol stringbean, So much worldbuilding, Very very late so I'm splitting it into chapters, painter au, what is this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-18 09:29:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9378518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheetahLeopard2/pseuds/CheetahLeopard2
Summary: Morisuke only wants to rest, but the mentoring of a certain half-russian impedes that.





	1. Word Building =')

**Author's Note:**

> So this is for my AMAZING friend Cindy and it's super late and not really close to finished but here! 
> 
> Burashimēkā = brush manufacturer  
> Michi= pathway  
> Isamu= Brave, courageous (new vocab will be added at the beginning notes of each chapter)

Morisuke sighs as he spots the checkpoint. The Snakes Fang. It’s a pub, a rather nice one at that. Recently there’s been word that it’s partnered up with the Johzenji caravan’s Bakery, and Morisuke hopes that that’s true, he could use a confectionary. 

He’s been walking for two days after his horse spooked and ran. And this was after three days of riding. Morisuke is looking forward to relaxing at the pub where a room would assuredly be open.

Morisuke is with a group of  burashimēkā s known as the Liberos. The group runs an underground relay trade system referred to simply as received. This system gets anything paint related from place to place across the country. The system is completely confidential, each ‘link’ only knowing the next checkpoint until the final one picks up money from another ‘link’ that was sent from the buyers end.

Technically, it’s illegal, as in certain cities spattered across the country only paints owned by the one transporting may continue. A trader or barterer had to have signed up for a contract with the city of each gatepoint in order to be allowed to pass through and another fee was required to be allowed to peddle their wares there. 

The system the Liberos had set up a system and, as each of them were in a caravan, had a bartering contract for every border,  allowing them to bypass the fees for sale as, and get paint supplies and items to different caravans or even collectors. 

It paid well, too. And it saved the members money as after gaining popularity, the Liberos had been approached by many businesses offering places to stay, discounts, and even free things if they were serviced.

So far the government hadn’t caught on, and anyone who ran into any trouble usually was able to be bailed out by someone else in on the system. 

Who the members are is generally hidden knowledge. No one, even those taken to trial before being bailed out, had had enough evidence brought against them to be held or for anyone else to be brought in. 

It works well, but is exhausting sometimes. And before the system had been refined, there had been a large fiasco with drop-off points. At first there weren’t enough liberos to have the anonymity that exists this run, and as an assurance the load was dropped off at an appointed place. This, predictably, was not nearly as secure as they would have wished, and a very valuable set of pastels made with rare flowers had been picked up by an oblivious postman. Luckily they’d been recovered before the postman made it to a border, but no one ever wanted to repeat that, and so everyone took up the work without complaint. 

Yaku had no sooner handed off the parcel, whatever was in it, to the relative newcomer Shinji Watari. (a bright, nice boy Morisuke took an instant liking to) and sat at a table in the inn, that his messenger cat, Michi, brings his attention upwards just in time for Isamu, Yuu Nishinoya’s messenger crow, to land on the table with a note tied to his leg.

The  _ thunk  _ of Morisuke’s head against the wood is loud enough to distract Suguru and Yuuji from their flirting behind the counter.

 

\---

 

After a few more thunks of his head against the table and a free drink and muffin, Morisuke heads over to the entrance to wait for Yuu. 

 Yuu is… an interesting character. He had been the first younger  burashimēkā recruited as a libero when Hayato, Morisuke, and Haruki had come up with the idea in the first place. With Yuu came Akama of the Nehebi caravan, and Arata of Johzenji caravan. After the fiasco, they had gone on a recruiting spree. Morisuke invited his junior Yuuki, and Yuu invited his friend Kousuke of the Dateko caravan. 

Yuu had come from the hometown of Chidoriyama, where he had earned the title of best  burashimēkā in the more urban side of the country, called Miyagi. The Seijoh, Shiratorizawa, Johzenji, Karasuno, and Dateko caravans are based in this half. The Nehebi, Nekoma, and Fukurodani caravans are all based in the more populated, city half of the country, called Tokyo. 

Yuu had, after earning the award, gone on to join the Karasuno caravan, the Karasuno caravan had once had a large range and was well-known. For a time there was a surprisingly short talented mural painter there, who was well idolized and brought Karasuno to it’s peak. And then the man who decided most of their trade routes and set up collaborative projects with other caravans, Old-Man Ukai, retired and Karasuno faded into obscurity. 

Yuu had gone to Karasuno and met a painter named Asahi, at that point in time Karasuno and Dateko relations had been… less than ideal. Asahi had tried to make things better between the two caravans but things only got worse and Asahi had blamed himself. Yuu and Asahi had had a falling-out and Yuu had to drag Asahi back into the painting world. He’s still a very talented  burashimēkā, having practiced the entire time he had taken a break from traveling with the Karasuno caravan, which was about when the Libero’s began. He and the dateko burashimēkā Kousuke had gotten closer during that time, training together and so when Yuu came into the Liberos he brought Kousuke with him and relations between the two caravans had since vastly improved. Yuu often travels with Asahi now, if what Morisuke could make out from his ramblings and horrible handwriting is correct.

Morisuke is shaken from his thoughts by a cry of “Mori!” originating from his left. Too tired to brace himself, when Yuu barrels into him they both crash to the ground. “So sorry to have you take a journey right after you finished the last assignment but we’re kinda understaffed and you’re the closest! You’re the last stop so it shouldn’t be that bad!?”

Morisuke stops Yuus rambling with a tired laugh, “Exuberant as ever? I can take the night to nap here at least?”

“Of course! Of course!” Yuu nods, “Leave the contract to me! I owe you anyway!” The contract was the agreement stating that services of the Liberos are extended to the business and the business agrees to the exchange. It’s not hard to do, just not something Morisuke is mental together enough for today,

“Where am I leaving this one?” Morisuke wearily enquired, if it were to be dropped further than two towns over this would be unsavory. 

“Not far! Not far!” Yuu assured him, “Just the next town over.”

Morisuke sighed, already looking forward to his one night of rest before this parcel was delivered, “All right.”

 

The scratch of the wool surrounding the charge scraping his hand as Yuu handed it to him sealed his fate.

 

\---

 

The crack of sunlight through the blinds early the next morning may as well be a nail being pounded into his eyes. Morisuke very eloquently groans as last night floods back to him. Yuu had made sure he got to bed early, then proceeded to yell with Yuuji for a solid four more hours, keeping everyone there up. 

Finally, Morisuke had gotten a grand total of three hours of sleep that night to try and sooth his aching body and exhausted mind.

That had worked just about as well as one would expect. And now Morisuke has to get up and head out again.  _ Joy.  _ He doesn’t even have the energy to sound bitter in his mind, which is a first. 

 And now he has to set off again. Yesterday he had planned to stay here for at least a week and rest. At least enough time to buy another horse, or probably rent one to be sent back with the next ‘link’ headed this way after he got one free from that one stable near Shiratorizawa. 

Nope, he’d have to head on foot.

Mind still foggy from sleep deprivation, Morisuke elects to pull out his paper map rather than mentally draw up a plan.

This map is one of the many distributed to each Libero when they join. Very detailed, the one these were all copied from was said to have been made by the Little Giant himself, by his own accounts, before he retired. 

Morisuke wouldn’t be surprised if the rumors were proven or disproven, the maps are good, modern, and get the job done so he’s not going to actively seek answers out.

Good news, the journey is only a day or two. Bad news, it passes a border, which meant security checks.

Not that Morisuke is worried about the border check, he has his travel permits as a member of the Nekoma caravan, after all, but he isn’t sure he’ll be able to stay in the right state of mind after walking for a day with the lack of sleep slowing him down. 

Oh well, Morisuke gathered his stuff, storing the parcel in his pack. He’s not concerned about thieves as the Libero’s no-questions-asked policy benefited whatever they did as well. Morisuke accepts coffee and a sandwich as he waves to Suguru and Yuuji on the way out, promising them stories of his travels when he returns later.

 

\---

 

The walk to the border is uneventful for the most part. Shops set up in the early-morning mist, birds flap around their young, the road is slightly wet from the mist, and the sun highlights the slightly denser clouds on the horizon. 

All in all, the morning has a nice ambience to it, and if Morisuke were a painter instead of a burashimēkā he might have felt the urge to paint it.

As it is, Morisuke is spending the majority of the nice morning grumbling curses under his breath and hoping for a nice warm bed and food. The few hours of sleep he’d had, although they didn’t seem to help and only gave him a taste of what he needs, is just enough that he’s not running on empty. 

_ Although,  _ Morisuke reflects,  _ if I were running on empty then a 10 minute nap would feel like an hour.  _

Michi pads quietly next to him, mewing when the next town comes into sight. By that time, the sun is almost directly above, and Morisuke is thirsty, hungry, tired, and weary. Frankly, he’s cursing his job even as he realizes how irrational that is.

Morisuke smiles, thinking of walking through the gates and collapsing at the nearest inn, but he’s well aware that if he wants to be back and have time to rest before another assignment, he can’t stop.

Then Morisuke’s stomach rumbles loudly, breaking the silent serenity of the morning. Maybe he can at least stop for lunch.

Nekoma has a post here, luckily enough, and Morisuke knows that that post is a restaurant. The thought of Nobuyuki’s soup is enough to spur Morisuke on, and he reaches the town relatively quickly.

 

As expected, the idea of extra caffeine and warm soup Morisuke barely pauses in the town, heading towards the border quickly, anticipating feeling refreshed.

That feeling goes away soon enough when the guard chooses him for a random search.

“It says here you’re a burashimēkā?” the guard intones, peering down at Morisuke’s travel permit, “With the Nekoma caravan.”

“Yes.” Morisuke confirms, now exhausted but knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep from the adrenaline flowing through him. 

“And you’re alone?”

That was an unnerving question to be asked.

“For now,” Morisuke said vaguely.

“Then why are you carrying paints?”

Some part of Morisuke went,  _ Oh that’s what it is.  _ And the rest of him freaked out as much as possible without revealing anything.

 “MORI!! That’s where you went!” Morisuke had never been so glad to hear that obnoxious voice and nickname, “You went ahead! That’s cheating!!”

“Kuro there are no rules against it, we’re traveling.” Kenma pointed out to his companion, not bothering to look up from his notebook, neat thin lines of colour fading into one another.

“Kenma it’s the spirit of the thing!” Tetsurou gestures wildly, ending up with his arm slung around Morisuke’s shoulders as Morisuke held the bridge of his nose, well aware that it wouldn’t help with his impending headache. He’d make Tetsurou pay for the elixir.

“Thanks for carrying my extra supplies!” Maybe only half the elixir.

Tetsurou leads them across the border, still chattering, the guard no longer paying them any mind.


	2. LEV SHOWS UP AFTER 2k WORDS WHAT EVEN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alright. Paint something"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another section b/c this is going dreadfully slow ALSO IMPORTANT THING AT THE END NOTES SO CHECK

There is a tall foreigner standing in front of Nobuyuki’s shop.

“KUROO-SANNNN! KOZUME-SANNNN!!!” the figure waves, eyes startlingly green even from the slight distance, silver hair glinting in the sunlight. 

“Lev!” Tetsurou shouts in return, looking slightly mad, “Why aren’t you practicing!”

“Who’s that with you?” The other, Lev, diverted, “He’s too short to be a painter!” Right into another disaster.

Kenma abruptly stopped walking toward Lev and grabbed Tetsurou be the arm to stop him as well.

Morisuke continued, marching toward this silver beanstalk with bright eyes who had dared comment on his height on the day he had no patience left. 

He reached the boy, realized with disdain how he had to crane his neck and look up to meet his eyes. This further rearing Morisuke on, he takes a moment to glare, until the kids smile begins to falter around the edges, and pivots.

“GAH!” Lev’s short (heh) cry pierces the air, and Taketora comes out the front of Kai’s restaurant. 

“No one could have saved him from that,” Kenma notes.

“He brought that on himself,” Tetsurou solemnly agrees.

“Well, if I had know Yaku-san was coming today I would have warned Lev,” Taketora sighs, but doesn’t argue.

Still too-tired-for-all-of-your-shit™, Morisuke slips past them into the restaurant.

“Kai-san?” he calls, “Can I have some soup? My drop is here.”

 Instead of Nobuyuki appearing, an excited Yuuki bursts through the kitchen doors with an already-made bowl. 

“Yaku-san!! I heard you finished a drop yesterday!” Yuuki excitedly sets down the bowl. The man obviously looks up to Morisuke (both literally and figuratively, something Morisuke is grateful for). He’s a relatively new burashimēkā, and was eager to join the Liberos as soon as he learned of them. Morisuke was happy to take Yuuki under his wing and watch as he proves himself and gets better.

“I did, and don’t you have this next drop?” he hands over the small parcel as Yuuki smiles and nods, Morisuke isn’t stupid, even in his faintly-exhausted mindset he knows that unless Fukurodani’s Haruki is in the area, Yukie’s the only Libero close enough to be the pass-off.

“I do yeah!! I will do my best and get better at passing off!”

“You’ll do amazing,” Morisuke reassures the burashimēkā.

When the younger burashimēkā flounces away, Morisuke settles in to finish the last of Kai’s broth. The only food Morisuke has ever savored. 

It’s nice and peaceful, almost as good as some sleep, until a flash of silver and leg plops down across from him.

“So you’re Yaku-san, huh? I’ve heard you’re the best burashimēkā in town! I hope to learn from you so that I can be the best painter in Nekoma!” 

“The best painter?” Morisuke mulls over this. The stranger, Lev as Tetsurou called him, as infuriating as his height is, has enough of it to be able to paint large murals and maybe even larger canvases than Tetsurou. 

Lev nods eagerly.

“Alright.” Yaku punctuates his words by placing his spoon back in his bowl, “Paint something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have started commissions! I do any ship excluding pedophilia and incest! I also will take requests to add something/make something into a series! (https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Favien-writes.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F157046415329%2Fcommissions&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFOYpx_Hy5S720CoVXTzh3HdH5oLg)

**Author's Note:**

> Come hmu at tumblr if there's a ship you want for this au or an idea or something (http://cheetahleopard.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (please comment I seek validation)


End file.
